CU Boulder undergrad invents cost-effective prosthetics for amputees

University of Colorado student Max Armstrong has invented a system that drastically reduces the cost of prosthetic limbs. (Max Armstrong / Courtesy Photo)

An eighth-grade project turned passion led University of Colorado junior Peter "Max" Armstrong to invent a mechanism he hopes will make prosthetics cheaper and more accessible to amputees around the world.

When Armstrong was assigned to solve a problem in medicine in his middle school robotics program, the CU mechanical engineering major didn't mess around.

"Normally, these sorts of projects are just silly ideas," he said. "This transformed into a lot more than that."

Armstrong was inspired by a family friend who was a double amputee. After talking, the Oregon middle schooler was moved by the high costs of getting a prosthetic limb. He wanted to come up with a way to reduce the price and reach regions of the world that might have difficulties receiving proper care.

To better research the topic, Armstrong talked to more amputees in his community and found that a basic prosthetic leg cost between $3,000 and $5,000 for the folks in his area, and could reach tens of thousands of dollars depending on a person's needs.

"They're very expensive and can take weeks to produce," he said.

The young man fiddled in his garage with cheaper materials trying to figure out ways to cut costs and decrease the time it took to craft prosthetics, which he felt impeded mobility.

Advertisement

When Armstrong's middle school project came and went, the idea continued to weigh on his mind. In high school, he finally conceived and invented the technology he uses today, which he has since refined, tested and patented into the prosthetic fitting system Go Prosthetics.

Armstrong describes his invention as similar to fitting shoes with custom insoles. Rather than a completely custom fit, he developed different-sized, generically-shaped, 3-D printed prosthetic sockets, which then get fitted to each person using an expandable foam material that fills the space between the limb and the socket.

Armstrong's prosthetic costs less than $300 and can be completed in the course of an hour.

"Nothing anyone else is doing in this area comes close to this," he said.

Brian Sherman, who offered to be a guinea pig for Armstrong's invention, agrees.

Sherman's amputation was caused by a small scratch on the bottom of his foot that spiraled into multiple surgeries and procedures resulting in a below-the-knee amputation of his left leg in 2013.

Sherman, of Oregon, sought out a local support group shortly after his amputation and heard about the work Armstrong was doing.

"I think it's phenomenal he's had such dedication," he said. "He's had a great idea, and he's run with it."

Sherman wanted to offer his advice and opinion to Armstrong, so he volunteered to test out the products during the development stages.

"The first one he did — it hurt," he said. "I told him if it hurts, people aren't going to use it. The second one he did is much better. I walked around the room. I had control. I had balance."

With Armstrong in school, the engineering student tends to do most of his hands-on work with the products during breaks when he's able to go home to Oregon. Now, he's working to find a nonprofit organization or non-governmental organization that will partner with him to help get his product out to people who could benefit.

"With Max's prosthetic, it could give people in low-income countries a better chance of walking after amputation," Sherman said. "I remember after my surgery, sitting in the hospital bed thinking, 'What the hell am I going to do? How am I going to take care of myself?' Max's system allows someone to continue walking, and even the ability to get up and get yourself a glass of water is phenomenal."

Armstrong has successfully tried out his invention with three below-knee amputees. He believes his technology could be easily adapted to work with upper-limb amputees, as well.

"The feedback is extremely positive," he said. "Now, I'm hoping to expand."

When Armstrong isn't fly fishing, skiing, working on his engineering homework or watching Netflix, he can probably be found researching and networking online about Go Prosthetics.

"My time is pretty used up," he said.

One of Armstrong's favorite parts of his journey so far has been meeting the amputee community.

"They're a really resilient group of people," he said. "They've overcome so much. What I'm doing is, hopefully, allowing people to walk that previously couldn't, and that feels totally amazing."

Dye pours in 19 for TrojansSmothering. Confounding. And just a tad frustrating ... at least for the opposition.
Longmont's defense, whether they are playing a 1-3-1 zone, 2-3 zone or man-to-man -- and it can switch from possession to possession -- can give teams fits. Full Story

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story